Tick Tube Time

[johnjk]

I started building the tick tubes this morning. And a few lessons learned. I did a 4-1 solution. I got permethrin to make tubes for the next six years. Do the math and just mix up a quart. I will use the extra gallon jug to store the remaining solution. Get your dedicated chemical containers, golves, paper towels and goggles if inclined in place and ready to go. I used some left over wire mesh as a drying rack to allow air circulation over a trash bag. As you can see they are drip drying over the tub o death. Finally don’t waste time shredding the cotton. You will have to do it before you stuff the tubes. More to come post stuffing tomorrow.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

I am saving up tubes as well. Keep us posted.

 

[johnjk]

Cotton is not dry. I moved it around in the sun today so I’m hoping I can assemble and deploy Monday after work

 

[DustyRusty]

I am saving up tubes as well. Keep us posted.

Why bother to save tubes? Get a length of whole house vacuum cleaner PVC pipe and cut it into 4" pieces. A 10' piece of tubing will net you 29 tubes and a short stub, allowing for a 1/8" saw kerf. if you can't find the thin wall tubing, use schedule 40 1 1/2" PVC pipe. The nice thing about using a pipe is you can use the U-shaped clamps to hold it down to the ground with some long nails pushed into the soil.

 

[Chris_]

How many are you making, for how big a property?

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Why bother to save tubes? Get a length of whole house vacuum cleaner PVC pipe and cut it into 4" pieces. A 10' piece of tubing will net you 29 tubes and a short stub, allowing for a 1/8" saw kerf. if you can't find the thin wall tubing, use schedule 40 1 1/2" PVC pipe. The nice thing about using a pipe is you can use the U-shaped clamps to hold it down to the ground with some long nails pushed into the soil.

That's a good idea, but I would like the tubes to disintegrate; It seems like an "eco friendly" way to repurpose them.'

 

[biketopia]

*Googles Tick Tubes* you've peaked my interest.

 

[L35]

*Googles Tick Tubes* you've peaked my interest.

I have to do the same..

 

[Bmyers]

I have never heard of such thing, interesting. (Had to Google it)

 

[johnjk]

Why bother to save tubes? Get a length of whole house vacuum cleaner PVC pipe and cut it into 4" pieces. A 10' piece of tubing will net you 29 tubes and a short stub, allowing for a 1/8" saw kerf. if you can't find the thin wall tubing, use schedule 40 1 1/2" PVC pipe. The nice thing about using a pipe is you can use the U-shaped clamps to hold it down to the ground with some long nails pushed into the soil.

The cardboard degrades over time and I don’t have to go pick them back up.

 

[johnjk]

How many are you making, for how big a property?

I have 25 acres here with 11 being woods the big issues are the tree lines and the tall grass areas I don’t mow. This batch will be around 25 tubes and disbursed between the house mowed area and field where the pup is getting ticks. Will also drop some in the gardens around the house. Probably do 50-60 more and hit the tree line and more of the fields. I am gonna drop one every 15-20 feet and see how that does.
I ran out of cotton so I need to go buy more. I have about 150 tubes on hand to stuff.

 

[johnjk]

Back in to the garage to finish them up. Pointers from this round. Each tube takes about 1.5 cotton balls shredded. I found that making a pile and then compressing to insert helps keep the cotton in the tube. Don’t try to hold on to the cotton while pulling it apart, you just compress it and make things more difficult. I started with an unknown quantity of cotton (estimate 60-70 balls) and ended up with 45 tubes dispersed around the yard.